Motor-vehicle.



W. Y. DONAHUE. MOTOR VEHICLE. APPLICATION 'FILED Nov. 19, 1907.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

WILLIAM Y. DONAHOE, OF CASCADE, IOWA.

MOTOR-VEHICLE.

ivo. 904,687.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24v, 190e.

Application led November 19, 1907 Serial N o. 402,836.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Y. DONA- non, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cascade, in the county of Dubuque and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specifica-tion.

My invention relates to motor-vehicles; and it is especially applicable to use in the mounting and carrying of field ordnance.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide improved clutch-controlled means for transmitting motive power to the traction-wheels, whereby their direction of rotation may be reversed, or either may be disconnected from the motive power to cause the turning of the vehicle by the continued actuation of the other traction-wheel :I

protecting armor for the vention for accomplishing the foregoing and hereinafter indicated objects. I however reserve the right to make any modificationsithereto that fall within the scope of my invention.

In the drawing-Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention, the armor being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, the armor being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line A-A of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section of the clutch-controlled means for transmitting motive power to a traction-wheel. Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line B-B of Fig. 4.

1 indicates the frame of the vehicle, and 2 an axle secured thereto in any suitable manner to prevent the rotation of the axle. Upon the opposite ends of the axle 2, are rotatably mounted sleeves 3, each having rigidly fixed thereto a gear 4 and a tractionwheel 5. The sleeves 3 are positioned upon the axle and retained thereon in any suitable manner.

Above the axle 2, and secured to the vehicle frame by suitable boxes 6, are shafts 7 one bein vdisposed at each side of the machine. ach shaft 7 has rigidly secured to its outer end a spur-gear 8, and to its inner end is rigidly secured a bevel gear 9; the spur-gear 8 beino in mesh with the gear 4.

A pair of beveI gears, 10 and 11, are loosely mounted on a rotatable shaft 12, and are maintained, in any suitable manner, in constant mesh with the corresponding bevel gear 9 at opposite diametrical points thereof.

The shafts 12 are mounted in suitable boxesl 13, secured to the frame of the vehicle: and each shaft has rigidly secured to its front end a spur-gear 14, the gears 14 being in mesh with each other.

The bevel gears 10 and y11 have each a hub provided with a clutch-face, toothed as at 15, for engagement with a correspondingly toothed end of a clutch-sleeve 16, mounted to `slide on shaft 12, between the clutchfaced hubs of the bevel gears 10 and 11 thereon. Each clutch-sleeve 16 is mounted to slide longitudinally of its shaft 12, preferably by means of a spline 17, which also causes the clutch-sleeve to rotate with the shaft. The teeth at the opposite ends of the clutch-sleeves are indicated at 18.

The clutch-sleeves 16 are each provided with an annular flange 19. This fiange 19 of one sleeve 16, is engaged by the slottedr bifurcated end of a lever 20, pivoted at 21 to the vehicle frame, the opposite end of the lever being operatively connected to the lower end of a hand-lever 22, pivoted to a frame 23, having a toothed segment 24, which is engaged in the usual manner by a handcontrolled spring-pressed dog carried by the hand-lever 22. The other clutch-sleeve 16 has its annular flange 19 engaged by the slotted bifurcated end of a hand-lever 25, provided, as is the lever 22, with a springactuated dog to engage the toothed segment 24.

A motor 26, .of any suitable type, actuates one of the gears 14: in the drawing a spurgear 27, driven by the motor, is shown in mesh with a gear 14. y

In the rearportion of the frame is pivotally mounted a trail-wheel 2S, having a segment 29 fixed to the upper end of the fork' carrying the" trail-wheel. A similar segment 30 is suitably mounted on the frame in a position convenient to the operator, and a chain 31, connects the two segments and transmits motion from segment 30 to the trailwheel, wheneverthe operator turns the former by means of a crank-handle 32, fixed to the shaft of segment 30. The segments are preferably toothed to more positively engage the chain.

gun 33 is suitably mounted in a frame 34, secured to the frame of the vehicle.

A protecting armor 35 is suitably supllO ported by the frame l; and this armor is provided at its -forward end with a firing opening 36, 'and at the rear itv may be provided with an entrance and exit opening 37. The operation of -my device is as follows: Assuming the motor 26 to be in operation to rotate the shafts 12,and the clutchsleeves 16130 have been shifted toenga e cori The trail-wheel may be turned by the opert ator in accordance with the turning of the vehicle.

It will of course be understood that the vehicle may be driven forward or backward, dependent upon which of the bevel gears 10 or ll are engaged by the clutch-sleeves.

llaving thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a iritor vehicle, the combination with oppositely disposed traction-wheels, of a gear fixed to each traction-wheel, a separate driving` mechanism for each tractionwheel, comprising a shaft, power transmitting means connecting the shaft to the gear on the traction-wheel, a gear on the shaft, gears disposed at opposite sides of the gear on the shaft and adaptable to actuate said gear in either direction, and clutchcontrolled means adapted to transmit power to either of the oppositely disposed gears or to discontinue the transmission of power to either or both of said ears,'and means for simultaneousl imparting motion to each clutch-control ed means.

2. In a motorvehicle, the combination with oppositely disposed traction-wheels, of a spurar xed to each, separate driving .mechanism for each traction wheel, comprising'al shaft, a pair of bevel gears loosely mounted thereon, a clutch-sleeve mounted to slide upon theshaft but connected thereto to rotate therewith and adapted to engage `either bevel gear or disengage from both, a second' shaft, and-a gear fixed to each end thereof the bevel gear on one end meshing with the pair of loosely mounted bevel gears `and .the gear on the other end meshing with the spur-f# gear fixed to the trarctionfwvlieel, and means for simultaneously imparting motion to each clutch-bearing shaft.

3. In a motor? vehicle, the combination with oppositely disposed traction wheels mounted on the frame of the vehicle, of a spur-gear fixed to each traction-wheel, separate driving mechanism for each tractionwheel, com rising a shaft, a pair of bevel sleeve mounted on the shaft intermediate the bevel gears the clutch sliding upon the shaft but rotating therewith and being adapted to en age either bevel gear or to be disconnected rom both, a second shaft, and. a spur-gear and a bevel gear fixed to opposite ends thereof the bevel gear meshing with the pair of loosely mounted bevel gears and the spur-gear meshing with the spurgear of the traction-wheel, intel-meshing gears on the separate clutch-bearing shafts, means for independently operating each clutch, means for imparting motion to one of the intermeshing gears of the clutch-bearing shafts, a trail-wheel rotatably mounted to the frame of the vehicle, and means for turning the trail-wheel.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM Y. DONAHUE. Witnesses: v

J. B.'SKAH1LL,

J. J. FAGAN.

gears loose y mounted thereon, a clutch-v 

